Ozu questions

J Rand axis
Wed Aug 30 02:26:16 EDT 2000


I don't know  the exact reason that the translators appeared to make a
mistake but when I got some original reviews from Japan the person who had
photocopied them for me had also translated the titles as being slightly
different on some of the films.  For example, Early Summer he had called
Coming Autumn.  I also had the help of a Japanese girl living in England to
help me translate the articles and from what she was saying it was quite
difficult sometimes to put an exact meaning because the titles gave a mood.
As you say Mackerel is available in Late Summer but undoubtedly would have
been confusing for British audiences who might not know the significance so
presumably this was thought of giving the right 'mood' for the film.

I don't speak Japanese and the girl who translated the articles for me was
not a professional translator and it was quite interesting sometimes how we
had to work at the interpretations of the meanings.  Sometimes my knowledge
of the films helped her to figure out a suitable translation as well.

Doesn't answer your question exactly but I imagine it was less of a mix up
and more of a question of trying to interpret the meaning.

Janet

----- Original Message -----
From: Michael E. Kerpan <kerpan at attglobal.net>
To: <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2000 12:49 AM
Subject: Ozu questions


> In reading Bordwell, I discovered that the "importers" of Ozu's late films
> really messed up on the names of the last two films. "Summer's End" is
really
> "Autumn of the Kohayakawa Family" and "Autumn Afternoon" is really "Taste
of
> Mackerel" (more or less -- the fish in question is apparently a treat
> available in late summer. Does anyone have any idea how the
title-translators
> goofed this up. Would Shochiku and  Toho have been responsible?  Or did
this
> happen after the films "left their hands"?
>
> BTW, does anyone know if Toho has ever released even a Japanese video
version of
> Kohayakawa-ke no Aki / Summer's End?  If so is it still available?  If so
> (again), can it be ordered by someone who is not literate in Japanese? <g>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Michael Kerpan
> Boston, MA
>
>





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